How can you customize lacrosse heads. What materials and techniques are used in the customization process. Why do players choose to personalize their lacrosse equipment. What are the benefits of custom lacrosse heads.
The Art of Lacrosse Head Customization
Lacrosse players are increasingly turning to customized equipment to express their individuality and enhance their performance on the field. Custom lacrosse heads have become a popular trend, allowing athletes to personalize their gear with unique designs, colors, and modifications. This article delves into the world of lacrosse head customization, exploring the techniques, benefits, and creative possibilities available to players of all levels.
Why Customize Lacrosse Heads?
Customizing lacrosse heads serves multiple purposes:
- Personal expression: Players can showcase their personality and style
- Team spirit: Custom heads can feature team colors and logos
- Performance enhancement: Modifications can improve grip, ball control, and shooting accuracy
- Durability: Some customizations can extend the life of the equipment
- Uniqueness: Stand out on the field with one-of-a-kind gear
Popular Customization Techniques for Lacrosse Heads
Several methods are employed to customize lacrosse heads, each offering unique benefits and aesthetic results:
Dyeing
Dyeing is one of the most common customization techniques. How is it done? Players use specialized dyes designed for plastics to change the color of their lacrosse heads. This process can create solid colors, gradients, or intricate patterns. Rit Dye is a popular brand among lacrosse enthusiasts for its effectiveness on plastic surfaces.
Paint and Airbrush
For more detailed designs, painting and airbrushing offer greater control and creativity. Artists can create intricate logos, patterns, and even portraits on lacrosse heads using these techniques. What type of paint works best? Acrylic paints designed for plastics are often used, along with a clear protective coating to ensure durability.
Vinyl Wraps
Vinyl wraps provide a non-permanent customization option. These adhesive coverings can be applied to the lacrosse head to add designs, colors, or textures. The advantage of vinyl wraps is their removability, allowing players to change their look without permanently altering the equipment.
Advanced Customization: Structural Modifications
Beyond aesthetic changes, some players opt for structural modifications to their lacrosse heads:
Pinching
Pinching involves narrowing the sidewalls of the head to create a tighter channel for improved ball control. This modification is popular among advanced players looking to fine-tune their equipment’s performance. How is pinching done? It typically requires heating the plastic and carefully reshaping it, often with specialized tools.
Flaring
Flaring widens the scoop of the head, potentially improving ground ball pickup and shot accuracy. Like pinching, this modification requires careful application of heat and reshaping of the plastic.
Custom Stringing
While not a modification to the head itself, custom stringing can significantly impact performance and aesthetics. Players experiment with different pocket depths, string materials, and patterns to optimize their stick’s feel and functionality.
The Role of Professional Customization Services
For those lacking the time, skills, or confidence to customize their own lacrosse heads, professional services offer a solution:
- Specialized equipment: Professional customizers have access to high-quality tools and materials
- Expertise: Experienced artists can create complex designs and ensure proper execution
- Consistency: Professional services can replicate designs across multiple heads for team orders
- Time-saving: Players can focus on training while experts handle the customization
Companies like ECD Lacrosse offer custom head services, allowing players to design their ideal lacrosse head online and have it professionally created.
DIY Customization: Tips and Tricks
Many lacrosse players enjoy the process of customizing their own equipment. Here are some tips for successful DIY customization:
- Prepare the surface: Clean the lacrosse head thoroughly and remove any existing finishes
- Use proper materials: Invest in quality dyes, paints, or wraps designed for use on plastics
- Plan your design: Sketch or digitally mock up your design before starting
- Take your time: Rush jobs often lead to disappointing results
- Protect your work: Apply clear coats or sealants to preserve your customization
- Practice on old equipment: Perfect your techniques on spare heads before tackling your game stick
The Impact of Social Media on Lacrosse Head Customization
Social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram, have played a significant role in popularizing lacrosse head customization. How has social media influenced this trend?
- Inspiration: Players share their custom designs, inspiring others to create their own
- Tutorials: Step-by-step guides and video tutorials make customization more accessible
- Community: Hashtags like #customlacrosse connect enthusiasts worldwide
- Showcase: Social media provides a platform for artists and professionals to display their work
- Trends: Viral designs and techniques spread quickly through social networks
TikTok users like @thestringshark have gained significant followings by sharing their lacrosse head customization processes and final products.
Legal and Regulatory Considerations
While customizing lacrosse heads is a popular practice, players should be aware of potential regulations:
League Rules
Some leagues and tournaments have specific rules regarding equipment modifications. Players should check with their governing bodies to ensure their customizations are compliant.
Warranty Concerns
Modifying lacrosse heads may void manufacturers’ warranties. Players should consider this before making permanent alterations to their equipment.
Safety Considerations
Structural modifications, if done improperly, could potentially affect the safety and integrity of the lacrosse head. It’s crucial to ensure that any changes do not compromise the equipment’s protective qualities.
The Future of Lacrosse Head Customization
As technology and materials science advance, the possibilities for lacrosse head customization continue to expand. What might the future hold for this growing trend?
- 3D printing: Custom-designed heads printed to exact specifications
- Smart materials: Heads that change color or properties based on temperature or impact
- Augmented reality: AR apps to preview designs before committing to physical customization
- Eco-friendly options: Sustainable materials and processes for environmentally conscious players
- Performance data integration: Customizations based on player-specific performance metrics
The intersection of technology and sports equipment customization promises exciting developments for lacrosse players in the coming years.
Conclusion: Expressing Individuality Through Lacrosse Equipment
Lacrosse head customization represents more than just a trend; it’s a way for players to express their creativity, enhance their performance, and connect with the sport on a personal level. Whether through professional services or DIY efforts, the ability to create unique equipment allows athletes to stand out on the field and take pride in their gear. As techniques and technologies evolve, the world of lacrosse head customization will continue to offer exciting possibilities for players at all levels of the game.
The growing popularity of custom lacrosse heads reflects a broader trend in sports towards personalization and self-expression. Players are no longer content with off-the-shelf equipment; they seek gear that reflects their individual style and meets their specific performance needs. This shift has not only sparked creativity within the lacrosse community but has also driven innovation in equipment design and manufacturing.
As the customization trend continues to grow, it’s likely that we’ll see even more advanced techniques and materials emerge. Manufacturers may begin to offer more customizable options directly, while independent artists and small businesses could find new opportunities in the niche market of sports equipment personalization.
Ultimately, the art of lacrosse head customization embodies the spirit of the sport itself: a blend of tradition and innovation, teamwork and individual excellence. By allowing players to put their personal stamp on their equipment, customization deepens the connection between athlete and sport, fostering a sense of ownership and pride that extends far beyond the field of play.
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Mark the Shark
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thestringshark
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onlyvarro
Varro
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Mark the Shark
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Rit Dye
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Youth Hockey League – The success of the Red Army, the rescue of the Hawks and the comeback of the Irbis. Results of the five-match series of the 1/4 finals
For the first time in the history of the MHL, three confrontations reached the last meeting.
The quarterfinal of the Kharlamov Cup 2021/2022 has ended. SKA-1946 was the first to solve the problem of entering the 1/2, having beaten MHC Dynamo Moscow in three matches.
Irresistible Buchelnikov, two matches without Michkov’s pucks and a “dry” victory over the champion. Results of the SKA-19 series46” – MHC “Dynamo-Moscow”
Three confrontations reached the fifth match. This is an MHL record, before that, a maximum of two series of 1/4 finals reached the decisive meeting of the confrontation. This happened in the seasons 2013/2014, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017.
Steel Foxes 2 – 3 Omsk Hawks (0:1, 4:2, 4:3, 1:5, 4:5 OT)
Comeback in the fifth match and Serdyuk’s winning goal
Magnitogorsk and Omsk gave one of the most dramatic series in the history of the MHL. One goal from Artyom Murylev was enough for the Hawks to take the lead in the series, but after that the Magnitogorsk team won two matches in a row. The second meeting in Omsk ended with a major victory for the hosts, and in the fifth match she made a cool comeback. Yielding 1:4, the Hawks leveled the score, and in overtime the puck 9 brought the victory to the guests0003 Egor Serdyuk . The Omsk Hawks will play in the semifinals for the first time since the 2012/2013 championship season.
Andrey Mishurov plays for the Hawks without substitutions, he kept a clean sheet in the first match of the series and was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the 1/4 finals. His save percentage is 94.3. Artyom Murylev in addition to the winning goal in the first meeting gave five assists and became the most productive player of his role in the second round. Among the forwards of the Omsk team, a trio stands out Gleb Trikozov (11 points), Egor Serdyuk (10), Nikita Savchenko (9). Vyacheslav Malov scored seven points and became the best newcomer of the 1/4 finals. Before the start of the series against the Red Army, the defenders of the Avangard Timofey Davydov and Semyon Chistyakov can replenish the Omsk squad.
Nikita Grebyonkin became the team’s top scorer with 13 (2+11) points in nine matches. Maxim Kuznetsov scored seven goals and became the best sniper of Magnitogorsk.
Series moment
Egor Serdyuk’s goal in the second overtime of the fifth match. The forward missed the penalty in the first extra period, but scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Serdyuk received the puck on someone else’s blue line – the video replay showed that the entrance to the zone was correct.
Quotes
Stanislav Shumik, head coach of the Steel Foxes:
– I wish things didn’t work out that way. They controlled the course of the game, the opponent patiently waited for their chances, in this they are similar to Avangard. They block a lot, they look for happiness in the counterattack. This is the playoffs, somewhere the guys themselves almost didn’t believe it, but I, as the head coach, didn’t tell them what to do with the score 4:1. There were no prerequisites for failure, subsidence in functionality. Probably, this is more concentration for the last minutes, important face-offs two minutes before the siren. There are no trifles in hockey, and even more so in the playoffs. The season was intense and debut for many of us, we got a lot of experience.
Vitaliy Chernochub, head coach of the Omsk Hawks:
– Spectators like this kind of hockey. To “burn” 1:4 with such a team is very difficult to get out. The opponent had the advantage. Before the third period, we talked to the guys, there was nothing to lose. We rebuilt the line-up, switched to a game of three fives. We equalized the score, it’s good that Yegor Serdyuk scored, because he was very upset because of an unrealized bullet. Two equal teams, we were more fortunate.
“Seagull” 2 – 3 “Irbis” (6:3, 3:2 OT, 2:3, 0:2, 1:2 OT)
Irbis’ comeback after two defeats
Before the start of the series, MHL.KHL.RU experts Anton Vasyatin and Aleksey Shevchenko preferred Irbis, but the first two matches in Nizhny Novgorod went in favor of the hosts. In the first meeting, they started powerfully, scoring four goals in 11 minutes and brought the matter to victory. In the second meeting, “The Seagull” bounced back in the last minute and won in overtime. The Kazan part of the series remained with Irbis, and in the decisive meeting everything was decided in overtime, and the teams spent only 15 seconds on the ice. Vsevolod Almetkin , who equalized the score in the match, became the author of the winning goal.
“We would have played both three and four overtimes.” Vsevolod Almetkin on the historic goal and victory over Chaika
Irbis goalkeeper Vyacheslav Peksa kept a clean sheet in the fourth match of the series, parrying 19 shots. This is his second “cracker” in the playoffs. Semyon Terekhov has 7 (3+4) points in nine matches, Dmitry Katelevsky has six goals, he is the best sniper of Irbis. Almetkin has the same number of points (2 + 4) and Kirill Mukhin (1+5). The main star of “The Seagull” was Ilya Fedotov , who scored an average point per game, he has 10 (6 + 4) points in ten matches, two doubles and two winning goals. Nikita Shavin scored four goals, it was he who equalized the score at the end of the second match of the series.
Series moment
Vsevolod Almetkin’s historical puck in overtime of the fifth match, which brought Irbis to the semifinals for the second time in a row. This goal was the fastest in MHL playoff overtime history. Almetkin beat the previous achievements of Ion-Georgy Kostev and Rafael Shakurov, who in 2011 and 2015 scored in the playoffs for Reaktor by 29-th second.
Quotes
Nikolay Voevodin, Chaika head coach:
– The guys fought, they did great. After the lost matches in Kazan, it was necessary to rebuild their heads and set the boys up for the fifth match, and they themselves understood everything, the whole value of this match. Maybe today I didn’t have enough luck, somewhere the discipline let me down, just a little bit. In general, if we evaluate the season, then for my part I will put a strong four with a plus, we made a good step forward, showed how the guys have grown during this time.
Artyom Anisimov, head coach of Irbis:
– Bounced back from 0-2 in the series, won three games in a row. The boys are just great! All games were on the verge of relegation, but the guys managed. After the defeats in the first two matches, we talked to the guys the same way as at the beginning of this season. We were able to unite all the newcomers to the team, to be all the time for each other – which has borne fruit. It was such a finale of the series that there were no thoughts in my head. It is clear that they only went out to win, but with caution – they still played on the road. But the guys did it. They inspire confidence in us coaches, and we in them.
Red Army 3 – 2 Loko 4:3, 4:3, 1:2, 1:8, 4:2
Red Army won the series after 1:8 in Yaroslavl
Unlike Irbis, the three-time MHL champion Loko failed to make a full-fledged comeback after two defeats, but the Yaroslavl team brought the confrontation to the fifth match. Zheleznodorozhnikov for the duration of the playoffs was headed by Dmitry Krasotkin , who won all three cups with Loko. After winning the Western Conference and confident success in the series with Spartak, the army team managed to win two home matches. After moving to Yaroslavl, Loko won a difficult victory in the third match, and in the fourth match they defeated the team of Rinat Khasanov 8:1. Everything was decided in the fifth game, where Muscovites had stronger nerves. For them, this is the first victory in the decisive match in the history of the MHL.
Prokhor Poltapov Loko did not score, but made five assists during the series. He lost the first place of the team’s top scorer to Egor Kuzminov . He has 10 (2+8) points in eight matches. The best sniper of the army team with four goals is Dmitry Zugan , and the defender Artyom Duda 7 (2+5) points in eight meetings. Forward Loko Yaroslav Likhachev , who spent his first and last season in the MHL, scored 20 (12+8) points in nine games, he leads the list of the best playoff snipers. Second scorer Loko Eremey Shumilin scored 9 (4+5) points. Loko became the most productive team (18 goals), the Tesanov-Kiryanov-Likhachev trio scored six goals.
Moment of the series
Yaroslav Likhachev’s lacrosse goal in the fourth match of the series. In this meeting, the Loko leader succeeded in literally everything. With the score 4:1, he decided on the Granlund trick and took the opponent’s goalkeeper by surprise.
Quotes
Rinat Khasanov, head coach of the Red Army:
– Interesting games turned out. In Yaroslavl, there was a specificity of the site, it is wider, the stadium is a bit voluminous, the ice is different. There was a lot of space. We were seriously preparing for Loko. They have an adult, trained team. There is a lot of experience in the playoffs, they have played in the finals in the last three seasons, there are many adult guys who have gone through all this. We must pay tribute to our fighters – they fought, well done, we will prepare for further games.
Dmitry Krasotkin, acting head coach of Loko:
– We seriously prepared, but, unfortunately, again mistakes let us down. The “Red Army” is a very mobile, interesting, combinational team, it was hard with them. The strongest wins, whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins. We made a lot of mistakes, so we lost. I do not think that the goalkeepers played badly, they did everything possible. Yes, we missed, but there are defenders and attackers who should help.
“Pull the dumbbells of the Soviet era.” Fedotov spoke about the army and explained why he chose CSKA and not the NHL0001
Goalkeeper
spoke for the first time after demobilization.
Today
CSKA held a special press conference,
dedicated
return to
goalkeeper team Ivan
Fedotova .
After the service, the hockey player had to go
in the NHL to play for Philadelphia, but instead of
signed a two-year contract with
army club, exacerbating relations
between leagues. Together with Fedotov
head coach came to the press conference
CSKA Sergey
Fedorov ,
which
clarified that all parties involved
asked them not to talk about the conflict
contract situations.
Ivan Fedotov / photo: cska-hockey.ru
“I gave the time that I could devote to hockey”
Fedotov, even before being sent to the army, was rather stingy with emotions. But this time he was even more serious than before. At this point, drew the attention of one of the journalists, who asked the goalkeeper about his current condition. “Mood is fine. I’m focused. Reviewing the previous year. I’m trying to convey information. Still, I was not on vacation,” said Ivan, who had just returned from a vacation in Dubai.
Of course, the army is not a test for the weak. Even for those recruits who go to the service voluntarily, this period does not pass without a trace. And in the case of Fedotov, everything happened very unexpectedly. On July 1, 2022, the goalkeeper of the Russian national team was detained in St. Petersburg on suspicion of evading military service. Ivan understands that you cannot change the past and it is important to concentrate on the future, although serious resentment is read in his words.
“We are all citizens liable for military service. Some people serve and some don’t. In any case, the law is the law, it must be observed. There are a lot of conjectures and discussions now. It doesn’t matter who had a hand in it. I spent a year of service, gave the time that I could devote to hockey. What can a person experience who played hockey, and then walks along the parade ground and marches? You count day by day, keep a calendar. No emotions – just wait. Hope it ends sooner or later. Either you swim out of this with your head up, or you drown in it all, ”said the hockey player.
Fedotov marched on the parade ground, went to the shooting range. He admitted that, despite the status of a sailor, he did not manage to visit a submarine. According to Ivan, they love hockey in the Navy, so he was allowed to practice according to an individual program. Without proper preparation, returning to playing form would be much more difficult. The leadership of the unit loved hockey and, if possible, helped Fedotov with the organization of training. He practiced on the ice twice a week and spent a lot of time in the gym.
“I kept my uniform in the harsh army realities. Pulled dumbbells, Soviet-era barbells. It was a good hall with the history and spirit of the USSR. More than imbued. If possible, I trained on the ice, fortunately, now the army loves hockey, ”said Ivan.
At the beginning of the summer, Fedotov even took part in a hockey tournament. True, the long-awaited return to practice was not without a curiosity. In the second round of the Armed Forces championship, he missed a lacrosse goal. This episode left many questions regarding the game form, but Fedotov took the situation with humor: “It’s okay. There will be something to tell the children. It’s better to concede from the sailors than in a professional match.”
“If we talk about memorandums, we will cross the line”
After Fedotov’s return from the army, many questions arose about the player’s future. In the NHL, it was assumed that he would join the Philadelphia. Ivan’s contract was frozen last year due to extraordinary circumstances. But contrary to the tacit agreements between the leagues, CSKA decided to keep the player. When the KHL officially confirmed the transfer of Fedotov, the North Americans were unhappy. However, recently the second man in NHL Bill Daily stated that the league has no claims against the KHL.
“In order to quickly get back in shape, I went to CSKA. Anyway, this club owns the hockey rights to me. It was important to feel the taste of life, adrenaline. In addition, it is the most titled and ambitious club in the country. There is no other way,” Fedotov said. During the service, the goalkeeper did not have the opportunity to contact either CSKA or Philadelphia. However, after Ivan’s demobilization, the club from Pennsylvania got in touch once.
At the press conference, discussion of any questions regarding the future player outside of CSKA was prohibited. This was emphasized by the host of the press conference before it began. However, given the scale of this topic, it was completely impossible to bypass it. But any attempts to translate the conversation into this direction were severely suppressed by CSKA head coach Fedorov.
Sergey Fedorov / photo: cska-hockey.ru
“All parties involved asked not to talk about it, even in private. This process is important for everyone, including our country. It is important that a compromise be found. If we now talk about memorandums, then we will cross the line, ”said the specialist.
Despite the events of the last year, Fedotov admits that he can return to the NHL. However, his contract with CSKA will be valid for another two years, so the move to America is postponed until at least 2025. The goalkeeper concentrates on playing for CSKA, while noting the importance of long-term goals: “The philosophy of a great athlete should not change globally. There are nuances that we can ignore, but we need to set the biggest tasks. Just follow your dreams no matter what. The goal remains a goal and a dream. You move towards it, you adapt to the conditions.”
“By December we can see the former Fedotov”
The head coach of CSKA noted that he was very happy about Fedotov’s return to the team: “He is a good fellow, handsome, the army benefits everyone. This is already passed, but a good stage. He spent the year actively, but still did not often play at a high level in his favorite game. Our task is to create comfortable conditions for Ivan, to set him the right course. ”
Apparently, in order to set up the ward for the positive, Sergey concentrated on the positive aspects. For example, he said that now they serve in the army for one year, and not two, as it was in the days of the USSR. At the same time, Fedorov renounced comparisons with the start of his playing career, when he, like all CSKA players, was formally considered military personnel. Also, the specialist did not see anything in common between the history of Fedotov and his own adventures of the late 80s. Then Fedorov escaped to the NHL during the Goodwill Games in the USA. If it was not possible to escape, the player would face imminent arrest.
In the last championship season, the main goalkeeper of CSKA was the Swede Adam Reideborn . Fedorov explained the logic of parting with him: “A limit on legionnaires was adopted. The main and good goalkeeper, who helped win the Cup, is still a foreigner and takes the place of a field player. We have a certain shortage in certain lines.